What Does Productivity Really Mean?

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This is the time to get ahead. The speculators will speculate, the pundits will tell you the economy is weak but for those with drive and determination, there is hardly a down time.

While it may be your time to get ahead, it also means the pressure is on, like full-blast. It is a race between wills. Who will work the hardest, who will take it to the next level? Who will face their fears, their competitors, but most dauntingly – who will face their own self-doubt?

This is the time to switch gears, from procrastination to productivity, but what does being productive really mean? Since productivity is derived from productive, let’s take a look at exactly what productive means. According to Merriam-Webster “productive” \prə-ˈdək-tiv\ means:

: having the quality or power of producing especially in abundance

Therefore, “productivity” \prō-dək-ˈti-və-tē\ means:

: the quality or state of being productive

So, what does productivity mean to you? Interestingly enough, I recently came across this question on the ProductiveMuslimFacebook page [aside: you don’t have to be Muslim to answer 😉 ), which really made me think about productivity in my life. I consider myself a productive individual, maybe not so much in the conventional sense of getting the most things done in the shortest amount of time, but productive non-the-less.

Being productive is more than just checking off a to-do list, it is about acknowledging your personal goals and taking the steps needed to fulfill these goals. It’s about reminding yourself of the bigger picture, and what you’re doing on a daily basis to stay in tune with your own “bigger picture”.

Being original at one point was all the rage until people realized that originality is dead. Afterall, this is the 21st century, just think of all the people who’ve lived before you. Part of being productive is acknowledging the fact that you may not be so original because everything has already been said and done, well, almost anyway, but you’ll keep going regardless. The only certified way to be original is to bring your own perspective to surface. No one has lived your life hour to hour, minute to minute, second to the second. This, my friend, makes you unique.

Your experiences, your thoughts, your insight makes you different from the billions of others who’ve traveled this journey before you. Be inspired.

Being productive is not about getting the maximum amount of tasks done in the minimum amount of time, it’s about shaping your legacy while you still have to power to do so. It’s about taking control of your life, your business, your message.

Interesting post. I feel productive on days when I get through my to-do list, but even more so on the days I’ve taken a big step towards a long-term goal, which is rarely connected to something specific on the list.